Learn about everything you need to know about occupational therapy. Discover what occupational therapists do, areas of focus, and much more.
From a therapy standpoint, inclusion means “pushing into” classrooms to deliver services rather than pulling kids out for therapy sessions.
If you're new to working with adults, this occupational therapy cheat sheet was created just for you that covers the basics for adult rehab!
Learn about occupational therapy in schools. In this guide you'll learn about our approach to evaluation and treatment.
Occupational therapy enables individuals of any age or ability, to engage in the activities (occupations) that are important to them to live a meaningful life.Let’s Break That DownWho Do Occupational Therapists Work With?What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?Why is it Called Occupational Therapy?Where do Occupational Therapists Work?Occupational Therapist vs Physical TherapistIn Conclusion:Who Do Occupational Therapists Work With? An OT can help ANYONE – of any age and with any disability, inju
I can finally say I did it guys…I added those three (super expensive) letters after my name…OTR. The feeling continues to be surreal as I have accepted my first position…
A pediatric therapist addresses the developmental concerns related to W-Sitting and why pediatric therapists caution against this position.
It's Occupational Therapy Month! Celebrate by downloading this super cute free printable of 10 things occupational therapists do.
How can we best serve the clients and students on our caseload? Telehealth physical therapy and occupational therapy is our best bet for many kids.
If you're looking for inspiring occupational therapy quotes from actual occupational therapists, be sure to check out these 11 best OT quotes!
Here is a fun idea to celebrate occupational therapy month this April. Have you heard of the hit television show Minute to Win It on NBC? Basically, the contestants are given challenges that they must complete in 60 seconds. The challenges usually involve sensory motor skills of varying degrees of difficulties. The materials for the challenges are common household items. Why not have your very own Occupational Therapy Minute to Win It challenges? You can vary the challenges to reflect different areas of occupational therapy. Have some prizes on hand for your contestants. Our local school is doing a fund raiser with Minute to Win It and charging admission to the show. Why not try and raise some money for occupational therapy supplies or your favorite charity. You can view all the "blue prints" (basically the directions for the challenges) at the Minute to Win It website. Here are some ideas specific to occupational therapy: 1. Fine Motor Challenges How high can you build a tower of marshmallows and toothpicks in one one minute? How many paper clips can you chain together in one minute? How many coins can you flip over from heads to tails in one minute? How many stacks of 10 pennies can you build in one minute? 2. Sensory Challenges From the show - unroll two rolls of toilet paper and wrap it around yourself in under one minute How many times can you push a therapy ball through a tunnel in one minute? 3. Activities of Daily Living Challenges How many times can you tie and untie your shoe in one minute? How many times can you put on and take off your coat completely in one minute? You get the idea. Vary the challenges as necessary based on the motor skills of the children at your school. And, if you still don't get it, visit the Minute to Win It website for loads of ideas! Have fun. Here is an old blog post entitled 10 Things to Do to Celebrate Occupational Therapy Month
Before OT school, I had a poor understanding of what OT's did. Even during OT school, the presentations and exams don't really prepare you for what you actually do as an OT...
http://www.aota.org/en/Publications-News/AOTANews/2014/Best-OT-Job.aspx An infographic about how to find the best OT job...I have a tiny quote in it, yay. Seriously, the global network of OTs is one of the best ways to find a mentor...one of my first mentors was in New Zealand, Merrolee Penman! :) There is also an article that goes along with it,
Using fall prevention techniques in occupational therapy is key when working on getting our patients back to their prior level of function and return home
Six Apps Every OTA Student Should Have As scooped from: Here is a back to school resource for OTA students from St. Catherine’s University in Virgina. The OTA Blogger shares “Six Apps E…
On this episode, I will talk with Sarah Stromsdorfer OT and blogger over at MyOTSpot.com about how we as occupational therapists can add more occupation based
Need your CEUs but are on a budget? We've found these free occupational therapy CEUs to use toward your license renewals.
What is Occupational Therapy's role in Acute Care? Sarah Stromsdorfer MS, OTR from myOTspot.com talks about the best parts and the challenges of being a
Find yourself wasting time? Here are productivity tips for home health occupational therapists.
The Z axis As therapists, we recognize the importance of mid-line crossing to help with primitive reflexes. Reaching lateral outside…
With formal schooling beginning at earlier and earlier ages, many parents worry about their child's ability to keep up with the curriculum. But
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FIELDWORK TOOLKIT A list of important items for all your fieldwork and professional needs. 1. Range of Moti...
Pediatric teletherapy ideas. Pink Oatmeal has several resources to make your teletherapy sessions fun and that allow you to send home a program!
This post may contain affiliate links.The shoulder girdle is very important in the functioning of the arms and the hands. In order to use your hands efficiently, you need to have strong, stable shoulders for your arms to work off of. Kids need to be able to easily reach up against gravity and to reach...
Taming Idiopathic Toe Walking: A Treatment Guide for Parents and Therapists is a great, new electronic book that provides a non-invasive, efficient and effective sensory treatment strategy for children and adolescents that display atypical toe walking. Written by renowned Occupational Therapist, Ileana S. McCaigue, OTR/L, ‘Taming Idiopathic Toe Walking: A Treatment Guide for Parents and Therapists’ serves as a definitive manual for children and adolescents that display atypical toe walking behaviors. Inspired by the overcoming of toe walking by numerous children during her years of practice, McCaigue’s professional expertise and personal experiences are fused into a powerful resource. Details: 64 pages: ELECTRONIC edition is delivered electronically immediately after payment You will receive a link to download the digital book after payment. If you need an assessment tool for toe walking, find out more about the T.W.O. Tool - Toe Walking Observation Screening Tool or view the discounted bundle for the book and the tool. This book is an easy-to-read guide for parents and pediatric, rehabilitation therapists with information on the categories and treatment of atypical toe walking behaviors. This manual explains when toe walking is considered developmentally unusual for a child’s age, and idiopathic or done for no known reason. Idiopathic toe walking is often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Specific Learning Disabilities, Developmental Delays and other disabilities with sensory processing difficulties, but can occur with typical children, as well. This book serves as a thorough resource for use of an alternative treatment strategy to “calm” the toes, and enable a typical walking pattern in those challenged with idiopathic toe walking. The ultimate goal is the prevention of tendon shortening and resultant limited motions of the ankles and feet from prolonged toe walking that can ultimately lead to the need for injections, bracing or at worst, surgery, to remediate the muscular imbalance. Taming Idiopathic Toe Walking provides step-by-step instruction of how to make “Toe Tamers”, a unique remediation tool that provides the sensory input that a child or adolescent with idiopathic toe walking needs to overcome this potentially serious problem behavior. A protocol and usage guide is available for: 1) How heavy to make the Toe Tamers, 2) How to apply them, 3) How often they should be worn, and 4) How long to use them to calm the toes. This would enable relaxation of the feet to stand with full weight bearing on the floor with or without socks and shoes. In addition…a HOME Program sheet is included in English and Spanish to instruct parents on the rationale for applying the Toe Tamers, as well as when and how to effectively use them. Additionally, forms are available for logging the impact of the Toe Tamers. A record and graphs are included to track progress on the length of time, as well as the reduction of heel height, as the Toe Tamers effectively help the toes to lower the entire foot onto a flat surface. Here is what therapists and physicians are saying about Taming Idiopathic Toe Walking: A Treatment Guide for Parents and Therapists: " Taming Idiopathic Toe Walking" is a useful practical guide to the the understanding of toe walking in the spectrum of motor disability. The book defines the problem well; all toe walking IS NOT cerebral palsy. Its origin as a sensory phenomena, often reinforced by habit, is explained clearly and succinctly. A good deal of the book explains in terms, understandable to parents, non surgical treatment options including the Toe Tamer technique. The book is a worthwhile read for parents, therapists, and pediatricians. Howard S. Schub, M.D., Child Neurologist, ASCEND Pediatric Neurology, Atlanta Southeast Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopment Ileana McCaigue, OTR/L has created an easy-to-follow, practical program with a low-tech solution for persons who toe walk that is idiopathic. The “OT/PT Toe Weights [‘Toe Tamers’ TM] Form” provides clear and concise instructions and precautionary reminders for therapists, teachers, and parents/caregivers. Therapists looking for a solution for their clients with this often-debilitating condition might consider using Toe Tamers, as well as using their cases for applied research on this technique. M. Irma Alvarado, PhD, OT/L - Professor, Brenau University , School of Occupational Therapy, Co-Owner, Essential Therapy Services, Inc. “Research has shown that toe walking is very difficult and time consuming to treat. This method is very non-invasive and simple and may produce dramatic results. Worth a read to all PT’s and OT’s treating children with sensory based toe walking!” Lee Axelberg, PT Taming Idiopathic Toe Walking educates parents and primary care givers on the possible cause and corrective solution for children who exhibit the problem behavior of sensory-based toe walking. The use of Toe Tamers with the protocol is an effective, simple, low cost, measurable approach to potentially correcting idiopathic toe walking. It is a great resource for helping children. Jayne Berry, OTR/L “Very interesting technique and read. It is well written and easy to understand. The detailed, step by step directions on how to make them and how much weight to use is wonderful. There is no vagueness or hidden secret that you leave out. Either it will work or it will not, but the method will stay consistent so therapists can determine progress. “ Margaret Rice, PT Owner, Your Therapy Source, Inc. View more titles written by Ileana S. McCaigue, OTR/L: Typical Classroom Sensory-Based Problem Behaviors & Suggested Therapeutic Interventions Autism Sleeps™ T.W.O. Tool - Toe Walking Observation Screening Tool The Scale of Sensory Strategies (S.O.S.S.) Tool Kit™
From core exercises for kids to fine motor activities, we've got you covered with these home program ideas for OTs and PTs.
We blog on the most recent and interesting topics and news in occupational therapy. This is your one stop blog for OTs and OTAs.
Here are the best resources for OT students on how to stay organized, improve studying, enhance writing, and stay up to date!
